#shes lowkey yan and terrifying okay

[qierxing]

Determination

A/N: Finished the LaDs story if you couldn’t tell. If you asked what came over me to write this, I could not tell you because truly I think I was in a trance because I’m not exactly a Sylus stan Yan! Sylus/Qin Che x Reader Forbidden fruit tastes the sweetest. CW/TW: Dub//Con touching, Manipulation, Power Imbalances, Disability issues, Unhealthy relationships, Obsessive behavior, Reader is not in-game MC but MC is referenced and reader is lowkey Longing(THEY HAVE TWO HANDS OKAY), kind of Alt! AU following the storyline

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From the moment you were born, your life had been planned out to the end.

You would grow up, become useful, and then once you lost your usefulness; be ushered to handling petty things to earn your right to exist, and then you would die. Just like everyone else in the N-109 zone. Cremated or dissolved, of course. No one is dumb enough to leave behind evidence or traces, or even worse, parts for grave robbers with no morals and a penchant for quick gold. That was simply the circle of life here. 

Your future had been set in stone as soon as your father had settled here. On some particularly trying days, you resent him for it. Other days, you know enough that he had no choice. 

“Is the old man in?”

The voice makes you tense reactively before you relax, recognizing the familiar low cadence. 

“He’s out on an errand, should I pass on your message?”

The leader of Onychinus and your boss by proxy, shakes his head. You didn’t bother to ask twice. Your focus once again is drawn back to the shiny red protocore on your desk. It’s a tiny thing; requiring meticulous care, lest it be shattered by too much pressure. 

“Is there something I can do for you while you’re here then?” 

A shuffle, then several clinks in your hearing peripheral. He must be looking through the backlog or the recent projects. It’s a habit whenever he felt restless and after some time, you learned to push down the feeling like your work was being dissected bit by bit by his intimidating eyes. 

The prolonged silence makes you forget your own question, too engrossed in the protocore in front of you. When Sylus speaks again, a tremor runs though your hands and make you almost lose your grip.

“What do you think I should do with a kitten that keeps hissing at me?”

You look over with wide eyes. Of course, there can only be one thing he’s referring to–the fact that the Onychinus’s leader is in possession of a valuable asset is not a secret. An outsider, of all things, too. Some would shake their heads in pity, others would sneer and say she had only herself to blame, and even more would only care once her dead body was laid bare and the aether core in their hands.

To you, though? You thought she was amazing. 

She was like the chivalrous heroes in the few scrappy picture books your father had. Dashing, fearless, and always fighting for justice. What was it like to be a hunter? You’ve never seen her, yet you daydream constantly about the life she led, and how you wished it could be yours.

“I feed some stray cats here and there. They usually warm up once they realize I’m not a threat and I’m trying to help them.” The sincere advice has him snorting in cynical disbelief. 

“And if that kitty still shows their claws?” You shift uncomfortably at the way his voice dips. When he was angry, Sylus was terrifying. But he wasn’t angry, not yet, and you wish you weren’t the factor that could change that right now.

“Usually time will do its work.” You try to sound casual, but you can feel Sylus’s eyes piercing through you. You try to swallow the saliva clogging your mouth. You don’t want to imagine what kind of methods the boss would utilize to make people talk. You distanced yourself from such violence, even if it was naive and stupid to do so. Still, there was a clear difference from self-defense and actively inflicting violence. The twins that shadowed Sylus made that crystal clear.

“Hmm…if you say so.” The heavy gaze lifts off of you and it’s like a weight lifts off your throat, letting air back into your lungs. 

Another few seconds pass in silence, with you praying for nothing else of note will happen.

”The old man told me that you’ll be benched soon.” 

The pointed sentence makes your hands freeze. The bright gold protocurve gleams in the dim workshop, and for a moment, the blood rushing your ears is all you can hear. 

“I’ve been unable to keep up with the workload, sir.” You keep your eyes firmly fixed on the ruby red core, forcing your hands to keep moving while you modify the curve. “I don’t think I can be any more help to my dad.”

Not entirely a full lie. You’re not sure if it’s because the rough and tough life of N-109 is wearing you down like sandpaper or if it’s your body collapsing in on itself due to its condition, but most days it’d be a miracle if you could get one modification done without mistakes. 

One time when you were still an immature child, you disobeyed your father and snuck out of the house during dawn. Your life had always been the pitch black of night, with the brightest natural light being the moon and its silvery clouds wrapping around it like a translucent shawl. When you asked your dad what happened when you slept, he simply stated the moon also went to bed. So then, what exactly happened while it slept?

The sun was blinding. It seared you to the bone as the heat increased with the hours passing and it rose above the horizon. It was so hot, yet you could not help but feel at peace, as if the rays were cleansing you. The landscape under its light was depressing as usual; metal scraps and rusted junk scattered and embedded in dull colored dirt and rocks. This much didn’t surprise you, but it still reminded you of the bleakness of your world. 

It made you feel helplessly trapped.

“If that’s the case, why didn’t you talk to me?” 

You blink once, then twice at Sylus standing in front of you, with an unreadable expression on his face. He had stated it as if it was common sense to bring up a grievance with him. As if he wasn’t the most terrifying power within the N-109 zone. As if you and your father weren’t subject to his whims.

”I…I’m sorry,” your eyes cast downward in guilt again. You wish your boss was as evil as some of the rumors make him out to be. It would make things so much easier. “I just didn’t think you need to be bothered with something this trivial.”

If possible, the expression on his face sours even more. “One of my researchers is not trivial. You help me, and I help you.”

You bite your tongue. Of course he was practical. It is true. Without you and your father, he would lose a quarter of his manpower in tech. But this just hardens your resolve even further. 

“Thank you for your concern, sir,” you plaster a sickeningly polite smile on, straining to keep the facade of a lackey who was happy to live another day. “But it’s alright—even if I can’t directly assist my father anymore, I can find other ways to be helpful.”

Why you were significant enough as a cog in his many machinations is still plain weird. But that doesn’t matter. Soon enough, you won’t be one if at all.

Sylus gives a bark of harsh laughter, startling you and making you drop one of your tools. Your skin crawled, but you willed yourself to stay calm, to maintain a calm demeanor that belied none of your true thoughts. It had been the only thing you kept from the many street smarts of N-109 when you grew up. 

He reaches out his hand. His evol wraps crimson red smoke around his outstretched fingers, and when it clears, there’s a slip of crinkled white notebook paper. Your heart immediately plummets into your stomach.

”Are you sure it’s not because you finally found an out to this hellhole?”

You hadn’t fully realized it, but you’re no longer sitting, and the next thing you know, the world has flashed into white and ringing. You’re no longer even thinking at this point, running on pure adrenaline and instinct. Sylus may be the one running the show, but even he couldn’t know all of the labyrinth of secret exits this workshop had. 

You got exactly ten steps in the direction of one before your face met the concrete floor. You don’t need to look to see what’s pinning you down. It’s almost insulting, but most of all, it’s aggravating to know how close freedom was in reach, only to be stopped short of it.

“You really thought something like that could stop me?” Sylus’s voice drawls above your struggling body. You’re wrenched up to stand in front of him, arms held up like a crucified deity. He fiddles with the now broken protocore in his fingers, turning it this way and that, so that the dim lights caught the cracked grooves and threw reflections on the grungy walls around you. Finally, he drops it and with a crack, his polished shoe has grinded it to nothing. “Well, it’s certainly a novel idea.”

You don’t bother to say anything, but a sob nearly wells up, just barely held back by clenched teeth. You were so, so close. Now you’ll never know what it felt to be in bright city lights and live a normal life. 

“I thought it was clear that the only place you had was by my side.” Sylus clicks his tongue, tilting his head. You’re forced forward, and then your head was buried in his shoulder as his hands found their way onto your waist, tight and unyielding. The acrid smell of gunpowder and alcohol from his ironed button up makes your nose wrinkle and although you try to turn your head away, one of his hands presses your head even closer. “I should’ve known better that you would get your hopes up when that hunter came.”

Hot breath ghosts your neck, sending goosebumps up your skin, and before you could stop him, his teeth are buried inside tender flesh, making you cry out in pain. Your struggling starts up again, but Sylus doesn’t acknowledge it, instead lathering a lithe tongue over the wound, causing pleasurable shivers up your spine. 

“Then, if you want to leave so badly, how about you stay with me?” he whispers with a tenderness that makes your head spin.

No matter how much you want it, you could not fight the fate that was set for you.

[wapwetasspirates]

SO SFW AZ (Coffer)

A: Affection (How affectionate are they with a s/o?)

Very. both Verbally and physically and there is a clear difference between working mode and s/o or how she is with Treasure. The guarded careful aspect of it is gone and she gives freely what she has to offer and will smother you in it if you let her. She tends to dote a lot and loves whispering sweet nothings to make your head spin and having a casual hand on you at all times. 

B: Breath (What can their s/o do to take their breath away?)

Coffer is used to being in charge and she does enjoy it but helping her do things and reminding her she deserves the same level of care will have her carrying you off to bed to show you exactly how thankful she is. 

C: Cuddling (Do they cuddle? If they do, how and when do they cuddle?)

She’ll cuddle if asked but she’s usually fairly busy and it’s not the most urgent thing on her mind. Not that she doesn’t like them, it's just not her go to for affection.when she does cuddle she enjoys all varieties but has a soft spot for you laying on top of her. 

D: Dream (What do they dream of doing with their s/o?)  

Coffer is actually surprisingly domestic and wants a quiet life somewhere where she can treat animals rather than people and monopolize all of your attention. Somewhere where she can relax and have you near is all she really wants. And maybe several hundred cats.

E: Effort (How much effort do they put into a relationship?)

Not a lot at first. It comes in gradual waves and builds. She is tentative to put effort into something she doesn’t fully trust but by the end it is second only to her focus on her sister. 

F: Fear (What do they do if their s/o is scared? How do they handle it?)

Removal of the fear and working on helping them get over your fears. It is very subtle and you will often be surprised when that thing no longer bothers you one way or another. If she can’t fix it she will do her utmost to ensure it never scares you again, she is highly and fiercely protective and prefers action to words of comfort but ask her for them and she’ll give them.

G: Gifts (What type of gifts do they give their s/o? Do they want a gift in return?)

She doesn’t put much stock in gifts and she can have Treasure get her whatever she needs. That said she will heap on an s/o a lot of random items she deems that you need and won’t be swayed otherwise. And while she will accept gifts and enjoys being treated she doesn’t feel strongly about them one way or the other. 

H: Hugs (Do they hug their s/o? How often?)

She does actually hug s/o’s very often. She considers it recharging and sanitizing and will seek you or her sister out for them often. Her favorite is to be wrapped around you from behind and burying her face in your hair but her hands tend to wander after a while. 

I: Intimacy (How romantic are they? Do they have problems with intimacy?)

Coffer is fond of quiet, intense, intimacy and romance. She can and will do whatever you like in order to sweep you off your feet and leave your head spinning with her words and actions. 

J: Jealous (Do they get jealous? How do they act when jealous?)

Very. And often. It is hard to tell and she’d be hard pressed to admit it but she has a way of making people think twice about approaching you and you’ll find it near impossible to flirt with anyone else. Which is precisely the way she likes it. The only one who gets a free pass is Treasure. 

K: Kiss (Are they a good kisser? Do they like to kiss? How often do they try to kiss you?) 

“Second” only to Treasure though she’ll say she lets her sister win. She loves kisses but prefers the less than public friendly ones and doing whatever makes an s/o squirm the most. Receiving wise she takes great pleasure in watching you try to reach her forehead and is amused when you do. She’ll kiss you whenever she feels like it and encourages you to do the same, though you’ll get the most pleased smile if you ask first. 

L: Love (When do they say they love you? How often do they say it? Do they prefer to say it or show it?) 

Rarely. She is not one to waste words and she won’t say if she doesn’t mean it. But the words are for you only and she prefers to say them in private. Her actions will often show it more than her words but if you need to hear it more she is happy to oblige, especially at the most inopportune times. 

M: Marriage (Do they want to get married? If so what kind of ceremony?)

She does. And she would prefer something simple and quiet with only people you both deem necessary, she enjoys flashy affairs but this is about you and her. 

N: Night Out (What type of dates do they like to go on? How often do they like to go on them?) 

She finds dates to be a bit overrated and will often leave those up to an s/o. She would prefer not to waste her time on them too often but she’ll oblige you as much as she can. 

O: Out of the Ordinary (What’s something they don’t normally do for/with their s/o?) 

She isn’t one to give up control but catch her in the right mood or ask the right way and she’ll allow it briefly and even like being cared for a bit. 

P: Playful (Are they playful in a relationship? If so, how do they play around/mess with their s/o?)

Of course but she is careful about it, timing it so an s/o is never uncomfortable and she knows just how far to push. She isn’t much of a prankster or joker herself but she always loves watching one play out and enjoys a good verbal spar. 

Q: Questions (Do they ask their s/o their opinion on things? Do they share theirs?)

She does but if she doesn’t like it, it will be like she never heard you at all and she isn’t one to give advice unless asked for it. 

R: Random (How spontaneous is their relationship? Do they do things on the spot or plan ahead?)

Coffer values organization and even the most random of things is usually carefully planned but she loves to watch you try and surprise her. If you actually manage to she will be more than pleased and won’t ever hesitate to shower you with praise about it.

S: Sleep (How do they sleep with their s/o?)

A wiggler in her sleep she can’t be still but she prefers you being in the bed than not but understands if her randomly smothering you in your sleep isn’t very preferably as she sleeps like the dead once she’s out. 

T: Trust (How much do they trust their s/o?)

Not as far as she can throw you at first. After she will ease up and trust you entirely, with all her secrets and Treasures. But if she even has an inkling you will break that trust, well, just don’t. 

U: Unique (What makes them unique as a s/o?)  

Tol skeleton pirate lady.

V: Vulnerable (How long until they can be vulnerable around their s/o? What are they like in this state?)

A very, very long time. But once she deems it acceptable (and she won’t allow you to rush it, so don’t bother trying) you’ll find a Coffer that is far less surface sweet and genuinely kind and protective of her loved ones to a fault. She isn’t as sure as she seems but can’t worry about it as mistakes can be very, very dangerous. Underneath all her tight control she is truly very soft. 

W: Wild Card (Random domestic headcanon)

Her always helping you get read if you allow it. Fixing your hair, helping you get dressed, bathing you. She enjoys spoiling her s/o’s and there is something intimate in caring for someone that way that melts her. 

X: X-Ray (What would they do if their s/o got injured?)

As if she would have allowed it in the first place. But she is an excellent healer and if an s/o is hurt they won’t even notice before she’s healed it. If a person is the cause of that injury, well, which person was that? No one has ever heard of such a person. Its like they never existed at all. 

Y: Yuck (Do they have any pet peeves about their s/o? Are there any habits that might bother their s/o?)

Bad etiquette and manners. She is a bit proper in that aspect but she won’t nag and yet you'll find the subtlest of reminders here and there and who would want to disappoint her? (Only Treasure who enjoys watching her sister sulk quietly over her bad table manners). Worry not, if you continue in that manner she’ll just train it out of you.

Z: Zeal (Are they passionate as a s/o? Do they want or like passion?)

She can be but it is slow going at first as she is tentative and a greedy thing she loves a passionate s/o to prove they want her.